


Lightening Lunch

by livbean



Category: Purple Hyacinth - Ephemerys & Sophism (Webcomic), Purple Hyacinth - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Gen, Kym is very big brain, Lauren deserves a break, Lunch date, a sprinkling of innuendo, kywi snuck in here my bad, lauki are not doing so hot sorry, lauky friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-17
Updated: 2020-07-17
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:46:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25327135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/livbean/pseuds/livbean
Summary: Kym and Lauren go on a lunch date.
Relationships: Kym Ladell & Lauren Sinclair, Lauren Sinclair & Kieran White, William Hawkes/Kym Ladell
Comments: 22
Kudos: 67





	Lightening Lunch

**Author's Note:**

> Lauren and Kym's friendship is something that I feel needs a lot more recognition, ya feel? ~~and yet I still made this fic mainly kywi-centric~~
> 
> Every time I look at the title I read it as "Lightning Lunch" smh

Lauren sat hunched over her desk, her eyes focused on nothing in particular. The windows of the office were letting in a steady stream of light, the sun warming her back. Nonetheless, her blood ran cold. The very thought of the _monster_ working down the hall was enough to make her feel sick. She ghosted her fingers across the bruises on her neck. The slightly faded marks were covered in thick concealer. 

Unfortunately, she hadn’t been able to find a way to conceal the memory of how they got there in the first place.

The officers of the 11th Precinct threw his name around as if he wasn’t the evil, inhuman being Lauren knew he was. The women- even _Kym_ \- gossiped about his _gorgeous night sky hair_ and his _deep sea eyes_ and his _Adonis-like physique_. But they didn’t know him like Lauren did. She knew exactly what lay beneath the features they adored so much. But for now, she didn’t want them to know. 

Lauren wasn’t fully sure how to go about dealing with him. He was one of the many issues she was facing and, although she wanted to protect her friends, she knew that she couldn’t put all of her energy into getting rid of the man.

So, she kept her mouth shut. She ignored him and he her. And that was fine. 

Interrupting her trail of thought, a shadow fell over Lauren’s desk. She flinched, quickly glancing up and reaching for her holster. 

“Hiya, Laur! Wanna go grab lunch? I’m starving and Hawkes says I have enough work done to go out on break. Can you believe the prick? He’s invading my rights, I’m telling you,” Kym gushed down at her.

The redhead focused her eyes on the young woman in front of her and relaxed the hand resting on her gun. 

_There was no blood. There was no cave. She was breathing._

“I don’t know, Kym… What if I miss something important?” _What if the new archivist visits our unit, looking for blood?_

The sergeant stared down at her, gaping. “What do you think you would miss? Lukas shooting Smith in the foot? The office has never been more boring,” she whined with a pout. “Besides, you look like you could use a break.”

“Alright, fine.” Lauren rose from her desk, stretching her arms behind her back. “Are you paying?”

“Me? Paying?” Kym covered her mouth. “How rude of you to even mention my finances,” she gasped theatrically. “I will have you know that I am in no state to be dishing out money.”

With a smile, Lauren tossed on her coat. “I’m not paying for the both of us, Kym. Especially if you order as much as you did last time.”

“Fine,” she laughed. “We can split the check.”

The young women made their way out into the hall, Kym loudly complaining about their workload.

“Ever since all this Lune crap started, I’ve been drowning in work. It’s insane,” she complained, waving her arms around wildly.

Lauren chuckled as she dodged her friend’s flying gestures. “No offense, Kym, but you’re always drowning in work.”

“Pardon me? Are you implying that I’m anything less than an incredibly talented sergeant?” 

She snorted. “I’m implying that you should try to do your work when you’re actually supposed to.”

Kym threw a poorly aimed punch at her arm. “Well at least I do my work eventually. Last time I visited the archives for a file the guys there were at least a month behind.”

At the mention of the archives, Lauren dug her nails into her palms, speeding up her pace. Kym lengthened her strides to keep up and placed a hand on her friend’s shoulder.

“Lauren, are you alright? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Not sure how to respond, the woman in question frantically fished around for an answer. By some miracle, before Kym could repeat her question, a stressed looking Will turned the corner a few feet ahead of them.

He perked up at the sight of them before frowning in confusion. “Where are you two off to?”

Lauren smiled, thankful for a distraction. “We’re headed to lunch. Would you like to-”

“No!” Lauren and Will looked at Kym in surprise. “Uh, I mean, no he can’t come. This is a female only lunch, sorry. Unless you have a secret to tell us, _Willame_.”

Lauren coughed, attempting to mask the laugh that snuck out.

“Ha ha, very funny, Ladell.” Will rolled his eyes. “I’ll just stay here and starve.”

Kym grinned. “You do that. Tell me how it goes when we get back.” She grabbed Lauren’s hand, dragging her down the hallway. 

The red haired woman turned back to her other friend. “Sorry,” she mouthed.

Will shrugged back, watching in irritation as Kym tugged on Lauren’s arm. “Ladell, you better get your ass back here in an hour,” he yelled down the hall. “You still have an outrageous amount of papers on your desk.”

“What will you do if I don’t?” Kym laughed from the end of the hall, pushing through the doors before he could respond. 

* * * 

Bistro Twenty-Three was a common location for lunch outings, especially for the 11th Precinct employees. The cafe was a quaint and quiet spot, perfect for those trying to escape the stresses of the workday. Not to mention, the food served there was much better than some of the alternatives.

After tracking down their usual corner table, Lauren quickly took the seat facing the window. “It feels like we haven't been here in forever,” she sighed.

“Because we haven't,” Kym said, pulling out the chair across from Lauren. “The last time we were here was months ago.” She draped her coat across the back of the seat before collapsing into it.

“Right,” Lauren murmured, subtly reaching for the bruises on her neck.

Kym tilted her head to the side in confusion, but she didn’t say anything to imply she noticed the gesture. “It’s no big deal, though! We’re back here now, aren’t we? It’ll be more fun since we haven’t done this in a while,” she said with a grin.

“I suppose you’re right,” Lauren smiled back. “We have a lot more to catch up on.”

Her friend opened her mouth to respond, but Lauren stopped her, pointing discreetly at an approaching waiter. “Look out, Kym. It’s the flirty one,” she mouthed.

She grinned back. Messing with this specific member of the waiting staff was one of her favorite games.

The man arrived at their table quickly. “Good afternoon, ladies,” he started confidently. “It’s been a while. Can I get you anything to drink?”

“I’d like a coffee, please. Just black is fine.” Lauren hid her mouth behind her hand, attempting to remain composed.

Kym smiled up at him. “I am honestly quite thirsty. Coffee isn’t very hydrating, you know. Can I have my usual?” she beamed.

The dark haired man, _Brad_ , dragged his eyes back to Kym’s face. “And what exactly would your usual be, miss? I seem to have forgotten.”

Lauren snickered, slapping her other hand over her mouth.

“Just get me anything with watermelon. I can’t believe you forgot,” Kym pouted up at him.

The waiter laid his hand on the back of her chair. “Sorry, miss. I have a much easier time remembering people’s orders if I have a name to attach them to.”

“You aren’t getting my name,” she giggled obnoxiously before lowering her voice to a whisper. “I’m not ready for that, yet.”

“Yet,” he grinned, turning away and leaving to get their drinks.

The second he was out of earshot, Kym broke down into a fit of fake gagging. Lauren let her hands fall away from her face, shaking with laughter.

“His breath,” Kym said between gasps of air. “It gets worse every time, I swear.”

Lauren inhaled slowly. “Maybe you two should share a piece of gum.”

“I don’t think gum is going to save him,” her friend said, shaking her head mockingly. “He’d probably choke on it.”

Lauren froze, her hand flying up to her neck once more. Kym watched, her eyes swimming in concern.

“Hey Laur?” she murmured after a moment.

She snapped her eyes away from the table to meet Kym’s. “What’s up?”

Kym swallowed. “I don’t want to pry, but…” Laurens eyes filled with panic. Kym noticed, quickly deciding to switch tactics. “You and the new archivist, Kieran. What’s going on with you two?”

Lauren winced. “I, uh-”

“And don’t tell me it’s nothing. I hear that excuse a million times a day.”

She sighed, the voice in her head begging her to tell Kym everything. Yet another voice screamed not too. Lune’s deal may have been broken, but that still didn’t mean that Lauren wanted her friends getting involved.

“We were close,” the half-lie slipped out. “We were close before this. And then he hurt me.”

Kym rested her chin in her palm. “He must have done a bit more than just hurt you, Laur. You seem like you want to kill the man.”

Lauren bit her lip. She wasn’t exactly wrong. Kym had always paid too much attention. 

Growing unsure in the silence, Kym relented. “Look, I get it if you don’t want to tell me anything. But you trust me, right? If you do choose to tell me, I won’t tell a soul.”

It wasn’t a lie.

“I do trust you, Kym. I’m just not exactly ready to share _all_ the details.”

Kym cocked her head to the side. “All?”

She fiddled with the napkin resting in her lap. “ _Kieran_ and I were partners of sorts.” Kym’s eyes widened in recognition, a motion that Lauren didn’t detect. “We were only together for just a short while, but I still trusted him. And… he did some bad things. He lied to me. He-” Lauren looked up- “uh, nevermind. He’s just not a good person.”

“Damn,” Kym breathed, her eyes clouded in thought. “Is that why you get so irritated when I flirt with him?” she asked after a moment.

“I- yes, I suppose it is.” Lauren said before suddenly grinning. “But you know who gets even more upset when you do that?”

The young woman raised a brow. “No, who?”

“Your beloved,” Lauren teased. “You haven’t noticed?”

Kym stared at her blankly. “...Beloved?” 

“William,” Lauren snickered, watching her friend choke on her own saliva.

“Lauren! What the Hell?!” Kym screeched. “ _Beloved_?! He does _not_ -” 

Still laughing at her friend's spluttering, Lauren glanced up to see the waiter once again advancing on their table with brisk intent. 

“Compose yourself, Kym. Your second lover is coming.”

“Shut. Up.” Kym accentuated each word with a kick under the table. 

Brad approached them, a cocktail glass in one hand and a mug in the other. “Alright, ladies, here are your drinks. Are you ready to order your meals, or do you need a moment?”

“We’re ready.” Kym licked her lips, trailing her dead-inside-eyes down his form. “I think I’ll have the grilled duck breast salad,” she simpered, rolling her straw in her fingers before taking a sip of her watermelon mimosa. 

The waiter swallowed, jotting down her order with a tightly gripped pen. “And you, miss?”

Lauren silently cackled. Luckily, the man was still facing Kym and hadn’t even looked her way. “I’d like the uh…” she glanced down at her menu. “Tilapia piccata, if you don’t mind.”

“Sure.” He quickly scribbled on his notepad. “Anything else?”

“I believe that’s all,” Kym cooed. “For now.”

Brad ran a hand through his gelled hair and grinned. “I’ll be back soon, then.”

Turning her gaze from the man’s receding form, Lauren looked at Kym incredulously. “How can you keep a straight face doing that?”

Kym shook her head, sending blue tendrils flying. “I’m not quite sure.”

Her friend stared back at her, crossing her arms. “You’re _lying_ ,” she sang. 

“Would you stop that? I don’t get to pry that far. You have an unfair advantage,” Kym said with a pout. 

“Okay,” Lauren said, heaving a dramatic sigh. “I won’t make you tell me your ways. Honestly, I don’t think I’ll ever need that skill anyway. I don’t foresee myself flirting with disgusting pigs for a laugh in the future.”

Kym glared. “You clearly think it’s amusing, so don’t try to complain. And since you can apparently see the future now, why don’t you tell me this,” she paused for dramatic effect, a gesture which didn’t match her suddenly serious expression. “Do you foresee yourself and Kieran reconciling any time soon?” There was a knowing glint in her amber eyes, one which Lauren understood the meaning of all too well.

 _Sometimes Kym is too damn smart for her own good_. Lauren exhaled slowly and took a long sip of coffee before answering. “Although I resent him, I do expect the need to arise for us to get back on speaking terms.” She looked Kym in the eye, watching her friend nod her head in understanding.

“Let me know if he ever hurts you again, Lauren. I’m not sure what he did, but if he goes that far again I’m prepared to kick his ass for you.”

Lauren clenched the napkin in her lap. Kym had only figured out a piece of the secret. She didn’t know who- what- Kieran was underneath his meek disguise. And Lauren was glad that was the case.

She smiled at her friend, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Thank you, Kym.”

“Of course! You can trust me,” Kym assured. And that wasn’t a lie, either.

Lauren’s smile spread into a more genuine one; she had someone she could trust fully, who didn’t judge or threaten. “Oh! That reminds me. I know you won’t tell anyone, but anyone needs to include Will, too. He can’t know about this.” Kym’s eyes were slightly uncertain. “You understand why, right Kym? I wish he could know but-”

“I do understand.” Kym had adopted a face of stone, her mouth a firm line set in determination. “Will is… unpredictable in this instance, I suppose. Who knows what he’d do if he found out? He won’t hear a word from me, I promise.”

Lauren took Kym’s hand gratefully. “ _Thank you_ , Kym,” she whispered. The younger woman smiled back sincerely. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

An awkward cough broke through their conversation. The two officers leaned back into their seats as their food was placed in front of them.

“Fresh pepper?”

“No, thank you,” Kym said, her voice clipped.

Brad looked uncomfortable, an emotion that they had not previously seen him wear. Lauren tilted her head to hide her grin. _He pulls off discomfort better than cockiness_ , she decided.

As the two began to eat, Lauren decided to pick up their earlier conversation, missing the lighter tone their lunch had held. “So, Kym…”

Her friend looked up, her mouth full of food. “Huh?”

Lauren couldn’t help but roll her eyes at Kym’s manners. “Enough about my _relationship_. Let’s get back to you and Will. What’s going on there?”

Kym flushed and shot her friend a glare before looking down at her food to chew in silence.

“Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about, “ Lauren scoffed. “It’s obvious that-”

Kym swallowed hastily. “Not as obvious as the sexual tension between you and Kieran.”

Choking on a mouthful of coffee, Lauren mirrored her friend’s glare. “There is not-”

“Yes there is. There is and you are denying it because he-”

“You denied what I said, too!” the redhead snapped. “You evaded my question. There’s more going on with you and him than there is with me and White, anyway.”

“Fine.” Kym downed the rest of her watermelon cocktail. Lauren raised a brow. “Hawkes is a complete dork, and he’s bossy and annoying and boring… but, _somehow_ , I find him attractive.” Lauren’s second brow joined the first. “There. Are you happy now?, Kym said, hiding her head with her palms.

“Very much,” Lauren grinned, “now that I have something to tease _you_ about. Being the victim isn’t nearly as fun.”

Kym lowered her hands, narrowing her eyes. “You better keep your mouth shut, Lauren Sinclair. This stays between you and me, understand? I probably won’t even feel the same in a week or so, anyway.”

“Sure you won’t,” Lauren muttered, throwing her friend a knowing look.

“I swear, Lauren, if you say anything I will never forgive you.”

“I won’t say a word,” she promised with a laugh.

“Good.” Kym bit into a forkful of salad. “And now we’re even, we’ve both told a secret.”

Lauren smirked. “I wouldn’t exactly call us _even_. Mine seemed a bit more drastic than yours.”

Her friend grinned back. “What if I tell you what happened between Lukas and Lila the other morning? I’m not supposed to say a word, but…”

“I think that might make it more fair.”

* * * 

Kym and Lauren returned to the office arm in arm, sneaking through the door in hopes that their Lieutenant would not realize they were a half-hour late in returning.

“Ladell, Lauren. It’s been more than an hour, what the hell took you so long?”

Lauren glanced at Kym. “Busted,” her friend whispered under her breath.

“Busted is right, Ladell. I want an explanation,” Will deadpanned from his desk.

Kym shrugged her shoulders. “I’m ever so sorry we are returning so late,” she spoke in an exaggerated accent. “I apologize _sincerely_ , Lieutenant. Please, punish me however you see fit.”

“Kinky,” Lauren snickered behind her. Kym flushed, delivering a swift elbow to Lauren’s side.

“Lauren, what’s so funny ab- _oh_.” Will pinched the bridge of his nose, his face tinged with pink. “Can one of you just tell me why your break was so long? We have a lot of work to do. Not to mention the fact that you’re already behind, Ladell.”

Noticing that her friend wasn’t going to respond, Lauren spoke up. “Kym wasted time flirting with a disgusting waiter.”

Kym glanced back at her and gaped. “Betrayal! Treachery! How _could_ you-”

“What? I’m confused.” Will’s gaze flitted between the two women.

“Kym spent half the time baiting a sleazy waiter,” she said slowly, dragging out each word.

“Baiting-” Will stared at her, dumbfounded. “ _What_?”

Lauren looked at the sergeant, whose face had become considerably flushed. “Oh, and he asked for her number when we left.”

Will stared in disbelief, swallowing thickly. “Did she- ahem- give it to him?”

“Sort of,” Lauren snickered. “Tell him what you did, Kym.”

The woman seemed to be silently praying for death. “I gave…” she trailed off in a whisper.

Lauren poked her friend in the side. “He can’t hear you Kym.”

The rest of the office was watching in awe, straining their ears to hear their second in command. Even Lukas had stopped writing.

“I- I gave him yours, William,” she muttered.

A dozen pairs of eyes turned to the lieutenant. A few people erupted in laughter at Kym’s response, including Lauren.

Will stared blankly at Kym. “... _What_?”

She shuffled her feet before clearing her throat. “His name is Brad, if he ends up calling. He thinks my name is Margaret, so play along, okay?” Will’s mouth hung open; he looked like the life was slowly being sucked out of him.

Lauren collapsed into her chair, cackling. She’d worry about Kieran later, she decided. Even if just for a moment, things were the way they used to be. And _damn_ , it felt good.

**Author's Note:**

> And there it is. This was all over the place, sorry about that. Hope you enjoyed this hot mess, it was fun to write :,)  
> \- Liv <3
> 
> ~~CFVGHBJKM I'm so excited for season two aaAAHHHHHHHH~~


End file.
